And now for the bad news ... Gary Shelton, The St.Petersburg Times, published 1 October 2007 Even in the best of times, it is hard to strut on one leg. Even after the domination of a particularly annoying opponent, it is hard to swagger with damaged knees. By all rights, today ought to feel like a party for the reborn Tampa Bay Bucs. Once again, they have won, and once again, they looked like the neighborhood bully in doing so. Once again, they looked like a team that has rebuilt its defense, rejuvenated its offense and rediscovered it success. Once again, they looked like the team to beat in the NFC South. Even in victory, however, it can be hard to smile through the pain. Even at 3-1, the Bucs find themselves talking more about first aid than first place. Even after a 20-7 victory over the Carolina Panthers, there are two ways to feel about the Bucs. Wow, have they come a long way since last year. Ow, did the road in front of them just get longer. The Bucs lost two key players on their way to winning Sunday afternoon. In an 11-play span, both running back Cadillac Williams and left tackle Luke Petitgout injured their right knees. Both appear to be finished for the season. Just like that, there was a somberness to the elation that has been the Bucs season. Just like that, there was another pair of questions as to whether Tampa Bay could keep this up. Just like that, there was a little less muscle in the offensive huddle. Yes, the NFL is a league of attrition, and yes, players get hurt. Still, it's a shame, because it has been so long since it was possible to feel this good about the Bucs. It isn't just that the Bucs have won three straight a year after starting 0-4. It's that they have won so in a manner that has validated them as legitimate contenders in a muddled NFC. The last time the Bucs won three in a row was in September of 2005, and if you remember, they looked very lucky along the way. Not this time. In their past three weeks, the Bucs have looked like a team that should make even the USF team proud. There has been nothing fluky about this start. The defense has been relentless. The offense has been creative. The opponents have looked helpless. Tampa Bay hasn't won three straight games this easily since its postseason run to the Super Bowl after the 2002 season. In other words, if the results did not feel so good, the injuries would not feel so bad. Oh, I know what you're thinking. Much of the glitter had faded from Cadillac Williams' reputation over the past season and a quarter, and a lot of people were ready to see more of Michael Pittman and Earnest Graham anyway. As for Petitgout, well, how many people pay attention to a lineman? Still, there are reasons that NFL teams pay so much money to left tackles and to running backs. For the Bucs, these are large losses. Against the Panthers, Williams looked as if he was a rookie again, averaging almost 7 yards in his six carries. He was decisive, he was aggressive. As for Petitgout, he had looked like a solution to the Bucs' eternal problems at left tackle. He was tough. He was competitive. And with him in the way, there hadn't been a lot of defensive ends running down Jeff Garcia from his backside. Now they are gone. Now, the Bucs must make sure the season does not go with them. "In no way does this affect what we have to do," cornerback Ronde Barber said. "We can't let it be a distraction to us. Whether we like it or not, they're not going to be here. Someone else has to step up and answer the call. We're going to get the job done. We have to." So which should a Bucs fan feel today? Elation over the victory? Or concern over the injuries? "A little bit of both, I would say," Graham said. "People should be happy about being 3-1. But when you lose one of the best running backs in the league and one of the best left tackles, it's a concern. But there are no excuses. We still have to play football, and we still have to win games." Again, it isn't anything new for a team to lose parts along the way. Look across the NFC South. The Saints have lost Deuce McAllister. The Falcons have lost Michael Vick. The Panthers aren't sure when they will get Jake Delhomme back. Good teams keep winning. Good teams absorb the pain. Even after losing key players, good teams find a way to remain good.